Egg cleaning device



June 25, 1940.

R. C. STORER EGG CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 24. 1938 ATTORNEYS PatentedJune 25, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning eggs and more particularly to animproved device for rapidly and effectively removing dirt, stains, etc.from the surface of the egg shell. Numerous machines have been devisedfor cleaning eggs. Frequently such devices have contemplated washing ofthe eggs with water. Certain difficulties arise, however, when water isused as a cleaning agent for eggs which are to be placed in cold storagebecause of the absorption of the water by the egg shell and laterresulting discoloration or mold due to such water absorption.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a dry'cleaning devicefor eggs which is simple and economical both in construction and upkeepand which operates rapidly and effectively to remove undesired materialfrom the shell without damage to the egg or danger of subsequentdifficulties when the egg is placed in storage. Another object of myinvention is the provision of an egg cleaning device the cleaning agentof which will last for a long time and need be replaced onlyatlongintervals and in which such replacement can be effected quickly andeasily.

The above and other objects of my invention will appear from thefollowing description of several embodiments of my invention, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalcross-sectional view through one form of my egg cleaning device.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary Vertical cross-sectional view of a modifiedform of cleaning device.

Referring now particularly to Figure 1, the egg I is held in the hand 2of the operator and the spot on the egg which is to be cleaned is heldagainst the surface 3 of the mass 4 of steel wool or the like which isretained within the cylindrical housing 5. The housing 5 is providedwith a nose piece 6 which preferably tapers to the restricted opening Iin order to retain the steel wool in the housing but at the same timepermit it to be automatically fed through the opening to provide at alltimes a self renewing cleaning surface 3. A freely movable, floatingdisc plunger member 8 is adapted to slide freely in the housing 5 andengages the rear surface of the mass 4 of steel wool and a coil spring 9lies between the disc 8 and the end plate l0. As the spring 9 ismaintained under compression it at all times exerts a force tending toforce the steel wool 4 out of the opening I, thus providing an automaticfeed of the steel wool as it may be worn away on the surface 3. In orderto maintain the spring 9 in its centered position an annular flange Ilmay be provided on the inner surface of the end plate Ill.

Due to the tapering shape of the nose piece 6 the mass of wool 4 may befed forwardly through the restricted opening 1, but it will be held backsufficiently to prevent undesired extrusion of the wool. When it isexhausted, or when the plunger 8 reaches a point where it cannot advancefurther due to the reduction in diameter of the nose piece 6, thehousing or can 5 maybe detached from the end piece In with which it hasthreaded engagement and additional steel wool inserted therein. Theparts will then be reassembled as shown in Figure l and the device willbe ready to function for another relatively long period of time. 1

A coupling member [2 is secured to the end plate It, as by screws I3,and is held on the motor shaft [4 by a set screw 15. The motor I6 may beof any suitable type and may be mounted as desired, for example, on thebench where the eggs are being sorted and classified.

In the modified form of my cleaning devicez shown in Figure 2, thehousing I! is provided with a steel wool retaining end member 18 and theplunger disc I9 is of a convex form. The spring 20 serves the samefunction as the spring 9 and in Figure 2 an annular flange 2| has beenprovided on the plunger disc I9 to retain the spring 20 in position. Itwill be understood that the housing I! may be directly supported on amotor shaft, as shown in Figure 1, or may be rotatably mounted in anyother desired manner. The steel wool in the embodiment shown in Figure 2is made up in disc shaped bats 22, the end bat 22 assuming a convexsurface shape which projects out from the end piece I8 facilitating theegg cleaning operation. This convex form is preferably maintained to acertain degree in all of the bats 22 by the convex form of the plungerdisc l9.

In the operation of the device the entire hous ing 5 is rapidly rotatedand the egg held against the projecting surface of the fine steel Wool.Although I prefer that the surface of the steel wool be convex in formso that it projects out beyond the end pieces 6 and I8 in order that thepossibility of striking the egg against the housing will be reduced, itwill be understood that my device will beoperative to clean eggseffectively The rapidly rotating steel wool and, as the egg and wool aredry, centrifugal force due to the rotation will throw off the removeddirt and prevent clogging of the steel wool mass. The open porous natureof the mass of steel wool facilitates this self cleaning action and thespongy structure of the mass of steel wool gives a springy, resilientsurface against which the egg may be held without danger of cracking orexcessive abrasion at any one point on the surface of the egg.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, after the end bat 22 becomes wornsuificiently it can be completely removed by pulling it out through thehole in the opening in the end piece 18 and when this is done an entirenew working surface on the next bat 22 immediately therebehind will bepromptly forced up to operating position at the opening by the action ofthe spring against the convex plunger disc I9.

It will be observed that my egg cleaning device is extremely simple,contains a minimum of parts, may be economically manufactured and willremain in operation for long periods of time without attention. AlthoughI have described in considerable detail the illustrated embodiments ofmy invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvariations and modifications may be made in the apparatus employedwithout departing from the spirit of my invention. I do not, therefore,wish to be limited to the specific devices herein illustrated anddescribed but claim as my invention all embodiments thereof comingwithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An egg cleaning device of the type described, including a housinghaving a restricted opening at one end, a mass of steel wool in saidhousing and projecting out through said opening, a freely movableplunger member adapted to engage the steel wool in the housing, springmeans for continuously exerting a force against said plunger tending topush said steel wool out through said opening and means, coaxiallyarranged with respect to said housing and said restricted opening, forrotating said housing.

2. In an egg cleaning device of the class described, a generallycylindrical housing having a tapering end portion and an opening in saidend portion of smaller diameter than the diameter of said housing, amass of steel wool in said housing, and independent springmeans forcontinuously exerting a force against said steel wool in said housingtending to push said steel wool toward said smaller diameter opening insaid housing, said tapering end portion being adapted to oppose theforce exerted against said Wool by said independent spring means.

3. In an egg cleaning device of the class described, a generallycylindrical housing having a tapering end portion and an opening in saidend portion of smaller diameter than the diameter of said housing, amass of steel wool in said housing, independent spring means forcontinuously exerting a force against said steel wool in said housingtending to push said steel wool toward said smaller diameter opening insaid housing, said tapering end portion being adapted to oppose theforce exerted against said wool by said independent spring means andmeans, coaxially arranged with respect to said housing and said opening,for rotating said housing.

4. In an egg cleaning device, a housing having a restricted opening atone end, a plurality of disc shaped bats of steel wool disposed in saidhousing, a plunger member having a convex surface, said surface engagingthe steel wool bat most remote from said opening, and spring meanstending to push said plunger disc toward said opening.

5. In an egg cleaning device, a housing having a restricted opening atone end, a plurality of disc shaped bats of steel wool disposed in saidhousing, a plunger member having a convex surface, said surface engagingthe steel wool bat most remote from said opening, spring means tendingto push said plunger disc toward said opening, and means for rotatingsaid housing.

RUSSELL C. STORER.

